enrich

/ɪnˈrɪtʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈrɪtʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈrich en-/ (ame, mw)

enrich — verb

1. to make something better, fuller, or more worthwhile by adding a positive elemen

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to make something better, fuller, or more worthwhile by adding a positive element to it, such as knowledge, beauty, or variety.

例句

Reading widely can enrich your understanding of other cultures and traditions.

enrich + understanding / knowledge

The new community centre has enriched the lives of local residents in many ways.

enrich the lives of [group]

同義詞
  • enhance

    focuses on making something already good even better, often in appearance or function; less about adding new substance

  • improve

    more general; can refer to making something better in any way, not necessarily by addition

  • supplement

    implies adding something extra to complete or fill a gap, but does not carry the same sense of deep positive transformation

反義詞
  • impoverish

    to make something poorer in quality or content, the direct opposite of enriching

  • deplete

    to reduce the amount or quality of something, often by removing rather than adding

文法句型

enrich + noun phrase

enrich + noun phrase + with + noun phrase

be enriched + by + noun phrase

用法筆記

Commonly takes abstract objects such as 'life', 'experience', 'understanding', 'mind', 'culture', and 'knowledge'. The 'with' preposition introduces the thing added.

常見錯誤

❌The music enriched the party atmosphere.
✅The music enhanced the party atmosphere.
💡'enrich' is for adding lasting value or depth; 'enhance' works better for making an existing experience momentarily better.
❌This book will enrich my horizon.
✅This book will broaden my horizon.
💡'enrich' does not naturally pair with 'horizon'; use 'broaden' for expanding range.

2. to make a person, company, or country richer, usually in terms of money, propert

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to make a person, company, or country richer, usually in terms of money, property, or material resources.

例句

The discovery of oil enriched the small desert nation almost overnight.

enrich + [entity] financially

A handful of top executives enriched themselves through the controversial merger.

reflexive: enrich oneself

同義詞
  • make wealthy

    more direct and neutral; does not carry the same critical connotation as 'enrich' in financial contexts

  • profit

    can be intransitive ('profit from'); 'enrich' is always transitive

反義詞
  • impoverish

    the direct financial opposite — to make someone poor

  • bankrupt

    more extreme; to cause someone to lose all their money

文法句型

enrich + noun phrase

enrich + oneself/itself

用法筆記

Often carries a critical tone when used about individuals or groups profiting from a situation, especially in political or business contexts. The reflexive form 'enrich oneself' frequently implies moral judgment.

常見錯誤

❌The new job enriched him a lot of money.
✅The new job made him a lot of money.
💡'enrich' is not used with an amount of money as a direct object; it describes the overall effect, not the sum gained.

3. to raise the proportion of a chosen isotope within a material, most often uraniu

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

to raise the proportion of a chosen isotope within a material, most often uranium-235, so that it can release more energy or sustain a nuclear reaction.

例句

The plant was built to enrich uranium for use in nuclear power stations.

enrich uranium for [purpose]

Only a handful of nations possess the technology to enrich uranium on a large scale.

文法句型

enrich + uranium / plutonium

enriched + [noun]

用法筆記

Nearly always used with 'uranium' as the object in general contexts. The adjective 'enriched' (e.g. 'enriched uranium') is very common in news and policy discussions. This sense has no everyday conversational use.

4. to add vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients to food during processing so that

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

to add vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients to food during processing so that it is healthier to eat, often to replace nutrients lost during production.

例句

Many breakfast cereals are enriched with iron and B vitamins.

passive: are enriched with [nutrients]

The government requires that all table salt be enriched with iodine.

同義詞
  • fortify

    similar meaning; often used for adding nutrients not originally present (e.g., fortified orange juice with calcium)

  • supplement

    broader; adding something extra to improve completeness, not limited to food

文法句型

enrich + food + with + nutrient

be enriched + with + nutrient

用法筆記

Commonly used in the passive voice ('is enriched with') or as an adjective ('enriched bread', 'enriched pasta'). 'Fortified' is a close synonym but tends to imply that nutrients were added that were not originally present, whereas 'enriched' often implies restoring nutrients lost in processing.